All I could hear was deep shallow breaths. My eyes refused to open, and my own wailing rang in my ear. I could feel and hear myself crying, but I couldn't fathom why. As soon as it started, my crying quieted down and I could finally hear sounds of people talking in the background, almost like an echo, booming in my ears. I couldn't understand a word they were saying.
In a dimly lit room, 3 women stood around a bed, each furling around in order to do whatever they could. An elderly mid-wife among them catered to the newly born child as she wiped her clean, wrapping her in silk. The other two looked solemnly at the mistress laying in the bed.
Despite their desire to help, there was little they could do. Their mistress heave, each breath getting shallower. Hands losing their grip on the sheets fastened to the bed posts.
"My Lady, please", one of them finally whispered. "You must hold on."
The situation was grim. They all knew. There was simply too much blood and the mistress was too weak to begin with.
Gabriella opened her eyes slightly, trying to take a peak at her daughter from where her head was lifted by pillows. All of her strength went to keeping her eyelids lifted, as if seeing her daughter was the last thing she wanted to do and refusing to leave the world before she did it.
The midwife, as if hearing her thoughts, moved towards Gabriella, slowly placing the child beside her so she could look at her. As Gabriella's breath quieted down, she smiled as she saw her child.
The daughter she long awaited for. After two boys, she always dreamt of having a daughter she could raise. And so her name came naturally. A name that represented a long lasting wish. "Aveline" she whispered as a smile graced her lips.
However, as soon as the smile appeared, it vanished just as quickly. She, better than anyone, knew she didn't have enough time. She would most likely die here. And her child will have to grow up without a mother. Even on the brink of death and exhaustion, she could think clearly.
She was familiar with what the Velmoria Empire believed about children whose mother died during childbirth. There are folktales about them being cursed; a devil's spawn. Ones that kill their mother to enter this world. Gabriella knew how widely believed this tale was. She herself never questioned it until now. No one really thinks about it until it happens to them, to her. Until she looked at the face of her child. How could someone so angelic ever be a devil?
With her last breaths leaving her body, she whispered to her child. "I love you, my dearest. Do not listen to the words of people who do not matter. You are an angel. You are my angel. I will protect you." Each word was barely a whisper, demanding every strength she had.
"And where I can't, your father and brothers will protect you. Live a long and happy life, my Aveline. And I shall meet you again in heaven" her voice trailed at the end, as her life left her body. The last thing her eyes would ever see was the sleeping face of her child. A child who would have to grow up without her there to protect her.
Severin Faylinn was known to be a strict nobleman known for his politics and magical prowess. Contrary to that image, Severin valued his family and people more than anything else. He had no desire for power or authority, lest it help with keeping his family safe and happy.
Testament to how he was with his family, he cherished his wife and two kids they had. With his parents passing on, and him being an only child, the joy of having a family to come back to was something he would not replace with anything else.
On top that, they were expecting the birth of another child. Severin had no preference as to the gender. He simply wanted them healthy and happy.
He was worried about his wife, though. She had been weak ever since the birth of their second son. With her body weakening and strength decreasing, Severin wasn't sure if she was healthy enough to have another child. Despite the anxiousness and fear in the back of his mind, Gabriella had never been happier for them. She would often talk to the child in her belly, asking if they were a boy or a girl. As if the child would reply and tell them.
"I doubt it knows what a boy or girl even is, dear" Severin would pipe every now and then.
"She or He is going to be a genius, I can feel it. Of course they already know" Gabriella would say sharply, as if to admonish her husband for using the word "it". "Also dear, the next time you refer to our baby as an it, I will personally pluck your tongue out." she sent him a cheery smile. He gave a wary smile back, knowing his wife was more than capable of going through with that promise.
It's a wonder why Severin was thinking back on that specific day as he raced back to his manor after hearing the news of her wife going into labor. The labor was early. If only he hadn't been out to the neighboring territory, he could have been there. For some reason, he felt anxious. Fearful.
The manor was eerily quiet, which should've been his first sign. There should've been chatter of workers running around, of noises of cheer coming from the main room, of people waiting for him with smiling faces. But there were none. The manor seemed dim. Silent. Each of his step felt heavier than the previous.
He made his way to the main room, pushing the door open. The first thing he sees is the floor, out of all things. It's comical actually. Why is he standing there looking at the carpet? In a second, his eyes dart upwards towards the bed, where his wife is.
The first sound he hears is a silent weeping. Not the first cry of a child trying to open up their lungs, but the sound escaping from the midwife's lips. He moves closer to the bed and finally lays eyes on her wife. She isn't moving. Her lips not twitching into a smile like they did when they had their sons.
The room falls silent for what feels like eternity. Severin falls on his knees, his head on his wife's hand. His thoughts are finally catching up. The pain feels like a sharp knife in his heart. His throat chokes, unable to keep the pain inside and equally unable to let it escape. The pain clutches itself to his throat, refusing to go anywhere. Finally, he lets out a long shout. A wail so powerful that the whole manor felt it.
For a long time after that, no one spoke a word. Finally, Severin lifted his head, eyes blood red. He looked around the room until he finally saw the child. However, the feelings he thought he'd have looking at his daughter for the first time were nowhere to be found.
That's the thing about fate. You can almost never predict it. What seems like the only natural thing that can happen, will change on its head. And what feels impossible, will happen without warning. When it's love, we call it destiny. When it's pain, we call it fate.
So maybe it was only fate. The person who never really paid attention to the folktale of devils killing their mothers when they come into this world, will now believe it entirely. The mother who looked forward to playing with her baby daughter would now never get that chance. The wife who believed her husband would care for their child even without her, would now look in horror as the opposite happens, unable to do anything. That is fate. Pain predetermined.
"Anna, I'm out of books"
Anna is brought out of her musing by a child-like voice. She would often find herself lost in thought, remembering the events of that day. As a midwife, she was the one responsible for the health of the mistress. Yet, she failed. Her only absolution was that she was able to save the young lady.
She can still hear the echoing roars of Lord Faylinn demanding the child be executed for being a devil. She begged and pleaded with all her might, but nothing worked. It was as if a veil had been placed over his heart and he refused to accept the child as his. Finally, she wailed out what the mistress wanted and what her last words were, screaming "She named her Aveline".
The veil had lifted temporarily. She could she Severin's clouded eyes clear up. Aveline. A wish long held. A wish that demanded fulfillment. His heart had no other choice but to soften. However, it was only short lived. He demanded the child be sent to the annex building. "Since you care so deeply about the devil, you can take responsibility for taking care of her for the rest of your life."
He had turned around and went back to the limp body of his wife after that, shouting a "Get out!' as he did. That too, she supposes, was the only act of love he could muster at the moment. Lord Faylinn was known to be a righteous and kind man, but only to those he considered his people. He loved dearly, Anna knew. She had spent a long time at the Faylinn estate. His ability to love people so deeply was his biggest strength. She just never knew that strength would turn into a curse as well.
Moving her head back to the child calling out to her, she spoke gently "And what books would you like now?"
On the other side, Aveline looks at Anna as if she should already know. Now 9, she has been showing a great amount of interest, especially in books regarding magic and incantations. Anna never really understood how she's able to understand all that information, but she credits it to the fact that Aveline is the child of Severin and Gabriella Faylinn, two people known for their magical affinity.
When nothing makes sense, humans tend to believe the nonsensical.
On the contrary, that had nothing to do with Aveline's capabilities on understanding the complex nature of magic. In truth, her understanding of it is attributed to the fact that Aveline wasn't always Aveline Faylinn, but rather Christina Kayo.
In other words, this is just another case of reincarnation into a different universe. With the knowledge she has from her first life, will she be able to use any of it to go through her second? Aveline's future is yet to be determined, but some things have already started moving and setting in stone. Aveline will soon understand that none of what happened was a coincidence, but rather fate and destiny at play.